Alaska Army Guard Sgt. Kevin Wold, B Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, navigates an obstacle course during the 2019 Alaska Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Sept. 6, 2018. The Best Warrior Competition is designed to test Soldiers in a series of mentally and physically challenging events over the course of 72 hours to determine who the best junior enlisted and noncommissioned officer in the Alaska Army National Guard. The winners will continue on to represent Alaska in the Northwest Regional Best Warrior Competition scheduled for spring 2019. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Balinda O’Neal Dresel)

Alaska Army National Guardsmen drag a 170-pound dummy in a Skedcos, simulating a casualty evacuation, during the 2019 Alaska Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Sept. 6, 2018. The Best Warrior Competition is designed to test Soldiers in a series of mentally and physically challenging events over the course of 72 hours to determine who the best junior enlisted and noncommissioned officer in the Alaska Army National Guard. The winners will continue on to represent Alaska in the Northwest Regional Best Warrior Competition scheduled for spring 2019. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Balinda O’Neal Dresel)

Alaska Army Guard Sgt. Trent Marnell, 103rd Civil Support Team, navigates an obstacle course during the 2019 Alaska Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Sept. 6, 2018. The Best Warrior Competition is designed to test Soldiers in a series of mentally and physically challenging events over the course of 72 hours to determine who the best junior enlisted and noncommissioned officer in the Alaska Army National Guard. The winners will continue on to represent Alaska in the Northwest Regional Best Warrior Competition scheduled for spring 2019. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Balinda O’Neal Dresel)

Eight Soldiers from across the state compete in the 2019 Alaska Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition to earn a spot as either the Soldier or Noncommissioned Officer of the Year on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Sept. 6-9, 2018. The Guardsmen compete through a series of 15 events designed to test the physical and mental toughness of Soldiers. The winners will continue on to represent Alaska in the Northwest Regional Best Warrior Competition scheduled for spring 2019.

The 2019 Alaska Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition concluded with an awards ceremony at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Sept. 9, 2018. Sgt. Trent Marnell, 103rd Civil Support Team, was named Noncommissioned Officer of the Year and Spc. Sychelle Gonsalves, 49th Missile Defense Battalion, was named Solider of the Year. Staff Sgt. Joshua Austin, 297th Military Police Company, and Spc. Justin Kompkoff were runner ups. Marnell and Gonsalves will continue to represent Alaska at the 2019 Army National Guard's regional Best Warrior Competition in the spring of 2019..(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Pfc. Grace Nechanicky/Released).

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — Two members of the Alaska Army National Guard were announced as winners of the 2019 Alaska Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition at an awards ceremony here Sept. 9.

During the ceremony, Sgt. Trent Marnell, 103rd Civil Support Team, was named Noncommissioned Officer of the Year and Spc. Sychelle Gonsalves, 49th Missile Defense Battalion, was named Soldier of the Year.

“The Best Warrior Competition recognizes Soldiers who demonstrate commitment to the Army values, embody the warrior ethos and represent the force of the future,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Grunst, 38th Troop Command command sergeant major.

Among the 16 events designed to challenge the physical and mental toughness of the Soldiers were an Army Physical Fitness Test, casualty evacuation drills, day and night land navigation, an obstacle course, a cross-country run, written examinations, an essay and a road march.

Marnell, who finished first in the road march, summarized his success by stating, “Speed kills.”

Marnell and Gonsalves will continue to represent Alaska at the 2019 Army National Guard’s regional Best Warrior Competition in the spring of 2019.

“I’d like to point out that Gonsalves is the first female winner of either the NCO of the Year or Soldier of the Year for the Alaska Army National Guard,” said Grunst.

Eight Soldiers from across Alaska were selected at the unit level to compete in the state competition.

“When I first got here, looking at the competitors, I felt a bit intimidated knowing that [so many] came from infantry,” said Gonsalves. “They are very smart, very physically and mentally tough Soldiers.”

Should the winners not be able to compete, they will be replaced by the runners-up from the state competition. This year, Staff Sgt. Joshua Austin, 297th Military Police Company, and Spc. Justin Kompkoff, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, are the runners-ups.